Black No 1
by annamorphos
Summary: A new hybrid give Nessie a chance to feel accepted, but how far will she go in her search to belong? This is not a Nessie/Jacob story. ON HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is a tester story...if it is well received then I may proceed with it.  
Here's a brief Summary.  
Renesmee has suffered for the longest time about identity. Rejected by both worlds, she has no one that she can really talk to. Finally, someone comes along who knows just how she feels..but will this new companion be the start of something beautiful or will Nessie find out the true horrors life?  
This is NOT a Jacob/Nessie story..nor is it an imprint or love story of any kind. This story will be about Renesmee finding who she's supposed to be. In this chapter you find out that her reception from the students are not like those of her mother. Where Bella was welcomed with open arms, Renesmee is tortured and teased.**

**This is a rough draft. I know that there are grammar, punctuation, and other types of mistakes. This chapter has been posted to see if the plot is desirable. Please do not send me messages/reviews about technical writing...this chapter is a rough draft.  
**

Chapter 1

**The Misfit**

"Oh my god," an attempted whisper called to another. "Don't look now, but the freak is coming our way." The voice belonged to that of Ashley Markham, a senior who had always been a little too interested in my family and a little too jealous of me—or so my father said.

I sighed and silently cursed my advanced hearing, wishing that I could wallow in blissful ignorance. _ I'm sure rose tinted glasses would look lovely against my skin and hair._ Gripping the straps of my elaborate designer backpack, I braced myself for the insults that were about to be hurled at me.

"She must think she's so hot," another hateful whisper replied to Ashley. This was Sarah, my recently developed enemy. She and I had been on pretty good terms until Ashley made up a nasty rumor. She claimed that I had called Sarah's sick sister "an ugly retard." Though I tried to convince her that I would never say such a thing, Sarah turned on me quicker than the Volturi. "Look at that designer bag, she probably stole it!" A chorus of agreements followed as a new rumor was born: Renesmee Cullen was a thief.

As I approached, Ashley angled her body towards me. _Here it comes; the insult of the day…might as well get it over with. _Her hand came down roughly on the strap of my backpack, as I passed, and I heard an audible ripping sound. Twisting my head, a look of horror on my face, I noticed that she had gripped my bag and tried to open it. Unfortunately my strength had forced a tear in the elegant fabric. Ashley's face was shocked and bemused at the same time.

My features twisted in anger and I curled my hands into fists. "What did you do to my bag?" I cried out in a shrill voice, feeling the blood rush to my face. I looked down at the ruined backpack—a gift from Alice on my first day of school—and sobbed a little as I leaned down to grasp it.

"What?" Ashley shrugged as her lip twisted up in a sneer. "It was stolen anyway."

My eyes flew up angrily and my body went rigid as I stood to look at her. "It was not stolen; it was a gift!" I growled angrily as more and more people gathered around to see what was happening. "Just because your family can't afford it doesn't mean mine can't!" My last comment was what my uncles called "hitting below the belt". It was a wide known fact that Ashley's family had been hit hard by the economy. Her father had played the stock market religiously and had squandered all their money. Ashley was now living with her grandma because her parents could hardly support themselves.

Ashley's nostrils flared and her hand curled up. Instinctively I knew what she was going to do; she was planning to punch me in the nose. I was almost as strong as my parents so I was unsure what would happen to Ashley's hand—I didn't really care. Her eyes glistened and her lips pulled back as she let out an angry cry. Before she could lift her elbow a familiar voice called out amongst the mass of students.

"What's going on here?" A waspish musical voice cut through the jeering crowd. I turned to see the unmistakable face of my Aunt Alice, moving through the group towards me. Her eyes were black as she took in Ashley's demeanor, and she glowered at her when she finally reached me. "Well?"

Alice's presence was no surprise to the other students. While the rest of my family used the public school system, Alice and I were sent to private school. Grandpa had made a large donation to St. Mary's during a recent fundraiser and, after meeting the teachers and viewing the curriculum, suggested that I be enrolled. Mom and Dad agreed with him and asked Alice to go as a chaperone, which she agreed to willingly. While Alice didn't mind St. Mary's—it gave her an excuse to jazz up the school uniforms—I didn't see anything remotely exciting about it. In fact, I had begged my father to let me attend school with him and mom instead.

_ "Please, Dad," _I had pleaded with him for almost an hour with not the slightest hint of luck. _ "I don't want to be away from you and mom."_

_ "Renesmee," _he had said with his normal soft yet stern voice. _"You know that you see us at home, I don't understand what the big deal is."_

_"The big deal," _my voice had grown shrill in anger, "_is that I won't know anyone there."_

_ "Don't be absurd," _his voice had begun to rise as well. _"Alice will be in every one of your classes. You won't be alone."_

_"But Dad—"_

_ "Stop it Renesmee," _he had scolded me angrily. _"You're going to St. Mary's and that's final."_

He just didn't understand what it's like for me. Everyone in the vampire world loved me—well, excluding the Volturi that is. However, in the human world, it was the exactly opposite. Everyone I knew was either one extreme or another, nothing like me. My entire family was comprised of vampires, werewolves, and a couple humans. I was the sore thumb, the freak; one of two vampire hybrids in the world. And it wasn't like Nahuel, the other of my kind, was available to chat about our problems. I hadn't seen him since the altercation with the Volturi over six years ago.

"Nessie is everything all right?" Alice asked as my would-be assailant and her friends left. "I'm sorry I didn't get here quicker." Her lips tightened as she stared at my bag, which Ashley had dropped on the ground and stepped on. Her eyes flashed angrily at the desecration of her gift to me—and a valuable one-of-a-kind backpack.

Knowing Alice too well, I grasped the bag from her and feigned a smile. "It's all right, Ally," I shrugged and examined the bag that I really loved. "It's not like we can't get another one." Chuckling to hide my sadness, I looked up and saw that Alice was not buying my act.

"Ness," she said softly and leaned forward. "Do you want to go home?" Her golden eyes did not pour over me with worry and unspoken anxiety, as my parents' did; they simply stared at me with love and understanding.

I pondered her question for a moment. If I left now, I could settle in between Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper and get in a few rounds of Super Mario Kart, or maybe I could pop down to Jake's place. I hadn't spent any time with him; Dad thought I should focus more on school than boys. The idea was looking better and better. I sighed a little and cast a wistful glance at the red Volvo sitting a few spaces away; Alice's "human" car, as she called it. However, as my eyes swept back across the parking lot, I spied Ashley and Sarah watching me like a hawk.

"No," I said with a frustrated sigh. "If I leave then they'll know they've won."

Alice frowned at my obvious sadness and exhaled. "Well, they won't bother you anymore today," she said in her usual "know all see all" voice.

I chuckled at the absurdity of her tone. The entire family knew that Alice couldn't see me in her visions. "And how do you know that?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

Alice grinned mischievously. "Because I'm here now," she said innocently. "No one will mess with you while I'm around—they think I'm completely crazy." She twirled her fingers around her head which made me laugh.

She was right. The rumor going around the school was that I was some kind of freak and Alice escaped from a mental institution—which was partly true. My wonderful Aunt _had _been in a mental institution but that was a very long time ago.

We both made our way to the school, passing a group of snickering teenagers. Alice and I had an official nickname at school: _the Bellevue sisters._ Alice thought it was hysterical, I felt it was degrading.

As we moved through the halls to our lockers which were conveniently right next to one another—thank you Grandpa—I froze in shock. The front of my locker was littered with graffiti and hateful words.

_Go back to hell, you monster._

_Freak._

_Devil's child._

My bottom lip quivered at the words and I barely felt Alice's arms wrap around me, telling me it would be okay. I gripped both sides of my hair as tears poured down my cheeks. This was becoming unbearable. Why couldn't I be like my mom? When she first started high school back in Forks, she was the center of attention in a _good _way. All the girls wanted to be her friend and all the guys wanted to date her.

"Come on," Alice said softly and pulled me towards the main office. "I'm taking you home and I'm telling the principal." I slowly shook my head, I couldn't let these evil girls win. "Renesmee, you can't let them do this." She stared at me with a pained expression that tore at my heart.

I sighed and hung my head; I was in no mood to fight Alice today. After losing my bag to an attack of jealousy and now being publicly labeled, I just wanted to disappear. Slowly I nodded and let her drag me towards the principal's office. Once inside, Alice changed into something I've never seen her be before: a snob.

"Excuse me?" she said shrilly commanding the secretary's attention. "We need to speak to the principal immediately." Her face was empty of her previous life and peppiness—all that remained was a bitter smugness.

"Um, he's in a meeting," the woman said indignantly and glared at Alice for her blatant disrespect. "Can I take a message?"

"Yes you can," Alice hissed at the round woman behind the desk. "As the whole school is aware of, we are the children of Dr. Carlisle Cullen, who donated a lot to keep this school from failing." She paused and motioned to the pad of paper in the woman's hands. "It has come to my attention that someone has made a conscious effort to single out my cousin, Renesmee," I grimaced as she mentioned my name, "and has written foul things on her locker door. This harassment will not and should not be tolerated. The locker door is to be replaced and the culprits reprimanded by tomorrow…or this school will have to find itself a new benefactor."

Before the woman could contest anything Alice had just said, my Aunt grabbed my hand and headed out the door. We hadn't reached the door when a chorus of familiar giggles caught my attention. Ashley and Sarah were coming down the hall straight towards us. If I had to go home, I at least didn't want them to see me leave.

Reaching up, I touched Alice's cheek and briefly showed her my worries. _Please Alice, don't let them see me. _My heart began to pound as the gruesome twosome approached us quickly. They were enraptured in their conversation or else they would've spotted up by now.

"Don't worry," Alice muttered mischievously and moved at vampire speed across the hall. Before I could turn and see what she was up to, a shower of water poured down on top of me, drenching my copper hair.

"Alice, what—"

"Don't ask! Run!" Alice giggled happily and sped down the hall.

The doors to classrooms began to open, it was now or never. I ran forward, forsaking my father's warning about showing off in public, and was soon in line with Alice. We burst through the backdoors and fled to the sanctity of the surrounding trees.

"Would you warn me next time you do that?" I demanded agitatedly as she shook her hair, sending droplets of water in all directions. "Geez Ally! I thought Jake was supposed to be the dog." I pulled my damp coat tightly around myself, masking the wet clothes that clung to my body.

"You know," Alice remarked lovingly, "you remind me so much of your mother." She gazed at me wistfully as I buttoned the damp jacket.

I scoffed sarcastically. "I wish I had her social skills."

Alice covered her mouth and let out her normal tinkling laugh. "Social skills? Bella?" she said incredulously. "Ness, Bella had zero social skills. She could hardly dress herself in the morning! The other humans were just naturally drawn to her." Alice spoke of the other teenager's attraction to mom like it was some cataclysmic event. "She was different and they all saw that—including your father."

"Yeah I know," I mumbled as I picked up a stone and threw it into the forest. "I just wish the girls here were like mom's friends." My mom had a friend named Angela who was the sweetest girl in the world; they continued their high school friendship through emails.

Alice scoffed again. "Well not all of them were peaches," she replied scathingly. "There was this one girl named Lauren who caused Bella quite a bit of grief." Alice's eyes flashed angrily at the mention of her name.

"Really?"

"Yes," Alice's voice was darker now and more waspish. "She started horrible rumors about your mother and father. It continued after we graduated too." Alice rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"How did it end?" I asked with an interested expression.

Alice chuckled softly. "Your mother finally stood up for herself," she said with a smug grin. "She cornered Lauren and told her if she didn't stop with the malicious lies, she would be sorry." I looked at Alice wide-eyed and she smiled slyly. "Of course it was an empty threat."

"Right," I agreed hesitantly.

After the students had filed back into the school, Alice and I headed back to the red Volvo and headed home. The ride back was filled with silence as I pondered how my mother chose to handle this Lauren girl. Could that work for me? Could I actually be strong enough to do something like that?

I let out a sigh of relief when we took the familiar turn off the highway; we were almost home. We were greeted by a very worried looking Esme, my Grandma, when we pulled to a stop in front of our large home.

"Is everything all right, Alice?" she called and rushed down to the passenger side, where I was climbing out of. "Renesmee, honey, what's wrong?" Her eyes poured over me anxiously.

"I'm fine, Grandma," I insisted as I pulled out my bag. The sight of the broken gift made Esme gasp, in shock. "It's all right, it's just—?"

"Bullies," Alice seethed angrily beside me. "Two girls named Ashley and Sarah."

"Oh Nessie," Esme exclaimed morosely. "Your poor bag; we'll put in an order for a new one right away. Won't we Alice?"

"You bet," Alice replied with a chipper grin. She relished any attempt to go shopping.

I followed them both in the house, hearing promises of hot chocolate and movies later on, and looked around for Emmett and Jasper. "Hey, where are the boys at?" I asked, half expecting them to jump out at me.

"Emmett and Jasper?" Esme exclaimed in surprise. "I thought Edward told you, they decided to go ahead and attend school this year after all." She beamed like a proud mother as she flitted from one side of the living room to the other.

"Oh." My mood fell even more at the absence of my two favorite gaming buddies. Glancing at Alice and Esme, I severely doubted that I could get either one of them to play a video game with me. Alice was too girly and Esme was…well…my Grandma. "Well that's good, I guess."

I stood for a moment, glancing around, not sure what to do. Alice had disappeared upstairs to order me a new bag—with next day delivery, I was sure—and Esme had retreated to another part of the house. Moving into the living room, I noticed a painted picture next to the dining room table; a statuesque russet brown wolf, standing in the moonlight. I gasped as an idea came to me.

"Grandma?" I called lightly and felt a breeze as she appeared beside me. "Is it okay if I go to Jake's?" I used my very best pleading voice, which always won her over.

"I don't know Renesmee," she said, her voice becoming a bit harder. "I'm sure you should ask your father first."

"Please?" I asked and showed her my best puppy dog eyes. "I'll be back before they are. I just really need to get out of the house."

She sighed and chuckled a bit; I had won her over.

"All right," she said warmly and hugged me. "But please, be back before three."

My lips exploded into a giant smile as I hugged her tighter. "Alice can I borrow your car?" I called upstairs to my shopping Aunt.

"I didn't hear anything but the keys are in the ignition." Alice said from her bedroom.

Before I knew it, I was running out the door and jumping into the seat of the red Volvo. My heart and stomach began to flutter as I headed to see my best friend and, little did he know, the love of my life.


	2. Chapter 2

****Okay guys, here's the plan. This is a story that I am writing in my spare time. Which means don't expect updates too often. I am going to post rough draft copies on this website. Later, after I finish two of my other stories, then I will devote more time to this. However, this story will not be beta-d or anything else. This is merely so I can get the story out of my head. Later on, I will send it to the betas and get it all spruced. ONCE AGAIN! These are rough chapters…put here so that I can get them out. Story will be beta-d later on. That being said, don't be afraid to review!**

Chapter 2

**Awkward Encounters**

I pulled up to Jake's small house—a gift from my grandparents—and turned off the engine. When it had come time for us to leave Forks, Jake didn't want to part from our family, so grandpa made arrangements for him to live close to us.

As I climbed out, I glanced to the house and to the trees that lined the back; there was no sign of life anywhere. _Where is he? _It wasn't technically early so Jake should at least be awake and I knew he wasn't attending school this year, so he shouldn't be missing. _Maybe he went into town or something._

I sighed and thought about leaving—maybe I could take Grandma and Alice up on that movie offer—when a twig snapped behind me. I whipped around and scanned the forest with my keen eyesight, looking for any sign of movement. A shiver ran up my spine, telling me that I was being watched and I closed my eyes, letting my senses take over.

Almost on cue, the winds shifted and blew a familiar musky scent towards me. My lips pulled up at the corners as a strong heart beat caught my attention to the east. _So, that's how it's going to be. _Just as I was beginning to formulate my plan, the sound of someone running forced my eyes open. Through the foliage, I saw a brown wolf charging in my direction. Laughing loudly, I planted my feet and braced for the impact.

The wolf yelped playfully, as he broke through the trees, and continued on his trajectory straight for me. He moved agilely across the expanse separating us and I could only marvel at him. He truly was a beautiful creature.

I shook myself out of the dazzled stupor and coiled myself up. Without stopping to think I sprung into the air, letting the wolf pass underneath me, and jumped onto his back. He came to an abrupt halt and began bucking wildly, like a horse. I laughed wildly and held on tightly.

I finally released and fell to the ground, laughing. "Another 8 second ride for Renesmee Cullen!" I shouted and raised my hands into the air, imitating a rodeo announcer. "She has mastered the raging Jacob beast again, Phil! Is there nothing this girl can't do?"

"Jacob beast?" a heavy voice called and I turned on my side to see Jacob standing a few yards away, dressed in a pair of shorts and nothing else. "I guess it beats being called a dog."

"Whoa Jake," I said and slowly averted my eyes. "Put a shirt on man!" My face flushed a bright red at what I had just seen. Apparently everyone else had seen Jacob without a shirt on but me. His chiseled abs and wonderfully defined physique had me reeling instantly.

"Oh sorry," he chuckled and I heard his footsteps disappear to the house. Seconds later he returned wearing a fitted black t-shirt. "What are you doing here, Ness?"

"What?" I replied and jerked my head back indignantly. "Aren't I allowed to see my best friend?"

He laughed and wrapped an arm around me, sending a shot of warmth straight through me. "Of course," he said and leaned away from me. "But you're supposed to be at school." He stared at me and narrowed his eyes playfully. "You ditched, didn't you?"

I shrugged and smiled. "Guilty."

"Oh, you're dad's gonna flip," he taunted me and rocked back on his heels.

"Not if he doesn't find out about it, you goof!" I smacked him on the shoulder lightly. "Besides, I just couldn't stay there." I mistakenly let the memory of my damaged locker door to cross my mind. I sighed, frowned heavily, and hung my head.

"Ness?" he cooed and pulled my chin up with his fingers. "What's wrong?"

I sighed and shrugged. "Jake," I muttered hesitantly. "I-I didn't come to talk about my school problems."

"So you admit there is a problem?" He stared at me skeptically.

"Jake, please?" I really didn't want to even think about what Jake would do if he found out I was being picked on. Ever since I could remember, Jake had always shielded me from danger. At times it was endearing, but at other times it was just embarrassing. The last thing I needed was for him to show up at my school looking for my 'bullies'. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief as Jake's shoulders relaxed and his familiar playful attitude began to shine through the rough exterior. "So, are we going to do this or not?"

He raised an eyebrow curiously. "And what exactly did you have in mind?"

"Come on, Jake, I'm getting old here!" I called out to the wolf behind me. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was letting me win, but that didn't stop me from goading him on. "I can't believe you're getting beaten by a girl!"

The trees moved quickly around us, as we took running leaps and dives across the terrain of the La Push forest. Jake either stayed behind or moved in step with me, but he never passed me up. After an hour of racing through the forest, I finally skidded to a stop and turned to see if Jake was coming. Sure enough, he had phased and was now stalking through the trees wearing a pair of shorts and nothing else. I turned away to hide the blush that claimed my cheeks.

"Why'd you stop, Ness?" he asked as he loped towards me.

I shrugged and tried desperately not to stare at his glistening muscles as he tried to catch his breath. Quickly I moved away and headed up towards a rocky outcrop that overlooked the water below. The waves dashed against the rocks and sprayed the water up, almost hitting me in the face.

"Hey!" I said with an inventive smile. "How about we jump?"

Jake laughed hysterically and fell to the ground. "You are so like your mother, you know that?"

I let out a frustrated sigh and crossed my arms across my chest. "Why does everyone keep saying?" I demanded and pouted angrily. "Why can't I do something unique for once?"

"Oh, Nessie," Jake sighed and shook his head. "It's not like that. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being like Bella."

I moved next to Jacob and flopped down beside him on the ground. I had heard the stories again and again. Mom had been torn between Dad and Jake for awhile before she got married and pregnant with me. Part of me wondered if Jake still pined for her. Moreover, if he did still have feelings for my mom, would I ever stand a chance?

"Oh what the hell?" Jake startled me and I looked up to see him glaring to the sky. Turning my eyes upward, I saw a hot air balloon floating high in the air. "What are they thinking?"

"And what is wrong with a hot air balloon, Mr. Black?" I asked with a wry smile.

"They're not safe," he grumbled and threw one last look of contempt at the multicolored object in the sky.

"What do you mean they're not safe?" I asked incredulously.

"Nessie," he said and stared at me like I was missing the point. "It's a wicker basket propelled by fire."

Rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but laugh at his point of obvious logic. We lay back on the ground and watched the floating mass disappear beyond the horizon, laughing and poking fun at one another. I sighed and relished in the contentment I felt spending time with Jake. The butterflies in my stomach kicked up as caught myself staring at his impressive physique.

The breeze was cool but I could hardly feel is sitting next to my own personal heater. Giggling softly, as Jake told me another story about my mom, I was startled when my cell phone began buzzing wildly. Reaching into my pocket, I inspected the caller ID and was annoyed to see Alice's picture staring back at me.

"Ness, you better think about getting home," she started talking before I had even said 'hello.'

"What? Why?" I demanded into the phone. It wasn't even 2:00 yet, why would I need to head back when my parents didn't get out of school until four?

"Carlisle is going to call in excuses for the others in about an hour," Alice said anxiously. "I would suggest you go home and soak yourself in a tub with that oil Rose gave you."

I cringed at the mention of my sixth birthday present from my Aunt Rosie. She had brought back this French perfume oil that smelled very strange. The scent was strong and filled the entire cottage the first time I used it. I insisted that I absolutely loved it; I didn't want to hurt Rose's feelings. However, my father had said I should use it sparingly, since we wouldn't be going to France anytime soon.

"But Alice," I contested, wanting more time with Jacob.

"Renesmee," her voice grew hard and I knew what was coming. "If you want to stay out there and get your father upset, do it when I know nothing about it."

"All right," I muttered and closed the phone. Sighing heavily, I turned to Jake who was staring at me with a quizzical look. "I have to go home now."

"What?" he asked disappointed. "But you haven't been here that long." His frown tore straight through me, making me depressed again.

"I know," I shrugged despondently, "but my parents are coming home soon and you know how my dad is."

"Yeah, I guess," he frowned as we both stood up. "Hey! I'll race you back to the Volvo! Ready…set…go!" Immediately he took off into the brush before I had a chance to prepare myself.

I dashed after him and before long was running in stride with him. His long legs carried him gracefully through the dense foliage and lifted him over fallen stumps. We were both laughing as we broke through the line of trees and ambled into a meadow, lined with flowers and a babbling brook. I stopped dead in my tracks and gulped loudly as I scanned the open area. There were two girls sitting in the middle, smoking on what looked like a cigarette and laughing with one another. It was Sarah and Ashley.

"Well, look who it is!" Ashley called out as I came to a half. "It's the little freak." Sarah turned and a malignant smile spread across her cheeks. The two stood up and walked toward her.

"Don't call me a freak," I muttered defensively as the continued to approach me. My vampire instinct told me to run, but my pride refused to let me move. "What are you two doing here?"

"What business of it is yours?" Sarah taunted hatefully and sneered as she appraised my appearance. "What? You think I should be with my retard sister?" Her brow indented as she was no doubt thinking of the horrible rumor.

"Sarah," I said sternly and looked her in the eye. "What do I have to do to convince you that I did not say that?" I glanced around and realized that Jake was nowhere in sight. Did he return to La Push without me or was he lurking in the shadows?

"Nothing," Sarah said and tossed her hair. "I know that you're a liar, so there's no use listening to anything you say."

I shook my head at her ignorance and turned my attention to Ashley, who was standing back, observing our interlude with satisfaction.

"Why do you guys pick on me? What did I do to you?" I demanded and curled my fists.

"Ugh, you exist, duh!" Ashley said and looked at me like I was stupid. She and Sarah shared a laugh, not knowing how much of a low blow that really was.

"Fine," I said after their laughter had subsided. "I'll go away then."

"Not so fast," Ashley called out to me. "I still owe you for that little comment this afternoon."

I turned angrily and glared at her. "You still owe me for destroying my property," I snarled and took a step towards her. The memory of my mother standing up to the girl who disdained her filled my head. Would it be able to work for me?

"It was stolen, everyone knows it," Ashley scoffed.

"IT WAS NOT STOLEN!" I said shrilly and a soft growl exited my mouth. The two girls looked at me with shock before erupting into a fit of giggles.

"Oh my god," Sarah exclaimed. "Did you just growl like a dog?"

"She did!" Ashley choked between laughs. "I can't wait to tell everyone!"

"Renesmee is everything okay?" a familiar husky voice called from behind me. Sarah and Ashley froze as I heard Jake approach from behind me. Turning around, I noticed Jake—now wearing a shirt—approaching with a skeptical look in his eyes.

Ashley was immediately by my side. "Oh Renesmee, are you going to introduce us to your friend?" her tone became sickly sweet as her eyes poured over Jacob's body.

Sarah was quick to follow, hooking her arm in mine and blushing. "Yes," she said with the same fake tone. "You never told us about him."

Ashley leaned in and whispered venomously to me. "If you tell him anything, I'll make your life a living hell." Jake's eyes narrowed as I was sure he heard Ashley.

I took a step forward and an idea suddenly popped into my head. Like my mother and my father, I was gifted with an unusual talent. I could reveal thoughts and images I had seen just by touching someone with my bare skin. "Jake," I said softly and gestured to the girls. "This is Ashley and Sarah; they go to school with me." Shifting my position, I moved next to Jake and rested my hand on his arm, sending him image after image of the two girls that taunted and tortured me at school. "Sarah, Ashley, this is Jacob Black, a friend of my family."

"Oh it's wonderful to meet you," Ashley sashayed forward with her hand extended and her eyes staring greedily at Jake.

Jake began to tremble beneath my hand, and when I turned to look at him, his face was strained. His teeth clenched tightly as his skin began to quiver and shake. My mouth fell open when I realized that I had made a mistake. Jake had seen all the terrible things that had happened to me—all the torments, my broken bag, and the defacement of my locker door—and it had angered him. Now, he was coming dangerously close to phasing.

Ashley, on the other hand, was staring at Jake with absolute confusion. While she attempted to keep the flirty façade, her eyes were wide as Jake's jaw clenched and his skin began to crawl. "Um, is everything okay?" she asked warily and took a cautious step back.

I nodded and threw her a pleading look. "Jake hasn't been feeling very well lately," I said quickly. "We think it's the flu but who knows. You guys might want to take off; he's contagious and prone to vomiting."

Almost on cue, Ashley and Sarah took a few steps back, looks of utter revulsion on their faces. There was nothing worse than a disease to detract from a man's "hotness."

I turned my face to Jake and touched his skin again, letting my thoughts seep into him once again. _Please Jake, I need you to calm down. It won't help if you phase and attack the humans. Please calm down. _

I felt Jake take a deep breath, a low rumbling coming from his chest, and he slowly exhaled. "Sorry," he muttered to me before turning his attention back towards Ashley and Sarah. "It's nice to meet you both. I apologize for my behavior, but I'm not well."

Their repulsion immediately melted and they both stalked forward. "Oh it's all right," Ashley said as she shook his hand. Her eyes immediately bulged when she felt the heat of his skin. "Oh my, you sure are warm."

Sarah giggled beside her as she shook Jake's hand as well. "If you're sick," she said in an attempted seductive voice, "maybe you should let us nurse you back to health."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. This was making me sick.

"Hey," Ashley said with an illuminated grin. "We're heading to a party right now, would you like to go?" I noticed she only addressed Jake with the invitation, which made my stomach burn even more.

Jake narrowed his eyes and appeared to think it over for a minute. However, after throwing a side glance to me, he shook his head. "Thanks for the invite," he said courteously and smiled. "But I really should be getting home. It was wonderful to meet you two." They both smiled, though still visually disappointed, and giggled a bit.

He quickly turned and headed back towards the forest. "Come on Renesmee!" he called back to me. Taking a deep breath, I turned and started following him closely.

"See you at school, Renesmee!" Ashley called after me, her voice filled with hidden malignance and malice. I sighed and wondered what horrors I would be subjected to me now, since I had something that she wanted.

Jake and I walked in silence for a few minutes before we got closer to the Volvo and his house. "You know," I murmured despondently. "You could have gone with them if you wanted. I know my way home." I tried to sound as detached as possible, but it didn't work that well. I couldn't blame Jake though; he didn't know that deep down inside I truly loved him.

Jake sighed and shook his head. "Well," he muttered without looking at me. "I didn't want to."

As we broke through the trees and Jake's house came into view, we fell silent. My emotions were tugging me in different directions and I didn't know how to handle it. On one hand, I was happy that Jake did not want to go with them; however I was unhappy that he had even been pleasant to them. He had seen that they tortured me on a daily basis at school, why didn't he do something? Then again, he had come dangerously close to phasing, as much as I detested Ashley and Sarah, their deaths would only cause undue attention.

Jake and I had an awkward goodbye. He wrapped me in a tense side hug and I gave his a light embrace as well. We both stood there, not really looking at one another, and said nothing. Finally Jake half smiled and opened the Volvo door for me. "I'll see you soon, Ness."

Nodding sadly, I climbed into the Volvo and took off towards home. Once I was sure I was out of hearing range, I screamed inside the car. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?" I yelled angrily and beat the steering wheel. My phone immediately started buzzing wildly, and I answered it angrily. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Nessie," Alice's voice was surprisingly gentle on the other side, she normally did not take kindly to people shouting at her. "Calm down and we can talk about whatever happened later." With that the phone line disconnected and I snapped my phone shut.

I pursed my lips angrily and took a deep breath. "I do not want to talk about it," I growled to myself as I took the turn off from the highway that headed back towards Grandma and Grandpa's house. "I just want these feelings to stop!"

I pulled up in front of the house and, after tossing the keys to Alice, I headed through the woods towards the cottage where my mom, dad, and I lived. Once I was home, I felt the tight knot inside me began to dissipate. I eagerly drew myself a bath, adding a good portion of the perfume oil to the water, and hopped in. The smell was actually not as unbearable as the first time I had used it. _Maybe it just needed to sit a little longer. _

The smell had become a subtle floral scent that enveloped the entire house and began to ease my nerves. Taking a deep breath, I let the warm water relax the tension in my body and slowly, I felt the worries slip away.

I lingered in the tub for awhile, and pretty soon I could hear my mother and father's rapid footsteps approaching the cabin. Instinctively, I began to guard my thoughts. _Just why did Carlisle pull everyone out of school to begin with? _I hadn't thought about it until then, but normally the only time this happened was when it was sunny outside. Thinking back, Alice had said that the current forecast was cloudy and rainy for the next week. _What's going on?_

"Renesmee Cullen!" my father's voice boomed from the next room. "I want you dressed and out here right now!"

I tensed and wondered what I could've done to anger him. However, I quickly dressed and, after taking a deep breath, I opened the door and greeted him. "Hi Dad," I smiled softly as he and my mother's scowling faces came into view. "What?"

"You know very well, young lady," my mother growled at me and placed her hands on her hips. "What were you thinking, Renesmee?" Her narrowed eyes morphed into a look of disappointment which cut me to the core. I hated seeing my mother disappointed; she was one of my best friends.

Still not understanding, I shrugged and crossed my arms. "Sorry," I said. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?" my father raised an eyebrow before mimicking my mother's stance, placing his hands on his hips. "Carlisle called the school to release you and Alice from classes, wasn't he surprised when he learned that you two had already left." His gaze became dark as he took a step towards me. "Now, are you going to tell me already?"

I sighed and threw up my hands in submission. "Fine," I admitted bitterly. "I left school, but it wasn't entirely my idea! Alice was the one who suggested it!"

"Oh?" a flicker of enlightenment flashed across his face and he reached in his pocket for his cell phone. After briefly dialing, he put the phone to his ear. "Yes Alice, it's me…I would like to know why you suggested leaving school today." There was a pause and I twiddled my fingers anxiously, wondering what Alice would tell him. After a minute or two, his posture had not softened and his face appeared harder than before. "Thank you, Alice, we'll discuss this more later on."

He closed the phone and was silent for a few minutes. "Edward?" My mother reached out tentatively and rubbed his shoulder. "What is it?"

He smiled gently at her before addressing me. "Renesmee," he spoke gently and wrapped his arms around my mother. "Is there anything that you'd like to tell me?" His eyes pierced through me and so did the worry behind it. I knew immediately that Alice had told him everything: the bullies, the broken bag, the defamed locker—everything.

I self consciously wrapped my arms around my midsection and lowered my eyes to the ground. "No," I muttered, not wanting to make my problems public.

He nodded. "Well," he said softly. "We're here if you need anything." He and mom turned and started heading towards their bedroom when I called out to them.

"Wait," I said quickly and they turned back around. "Can I go to school with you now?" I stared at them both anxiously, hoping against all odds that they would agree and let me attend Forks High School with them. Even if Ashley and Sarah found a way to torment me there, at least I'd have my entire family backing me up.

Unfortunately, my father sighed and immediately I knew that my hoping was in vain. "Nessie," he said slowly and apologetically. "We need to keep up our cover and, unfortunately, that includes you going to private school. If Carlisle pulled you out now, then it may rouse suspicion."

I hung my head and sadness overwhelmed me. It's not like they could understand what it meant to be me. When my mother came to Forks everyone loved her, and my father—well he didn't care one way or another. They didn't have to go through what I endured on a daily basis. I swallowed and let my disappointment roll down into my stomach and sighed deeply.

The phone in my father's pocket began to vibrate wildly and he answered it. "Yes, Carlisle? Okay, we'll be right there." After shutting the phone he turned to my mother and me. "We need to head to the house."

A short time later, the entire family was assembled in the dining room of Grandpa's house, waiting anxiously for his news. As he entered with Grandma in tow, the others became eager to know his why he had summoned them.

"Well Carlisle?" Rose asked with raised eyebrows. "Why did you call us here?"

"Yes," Dad agreed and leaned forward. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Carlisle immediately insisted. "Nothing is wrong, quite the contrary actually." He sat at the head of the table and took a deep breath before continuing. "It turns out that Renesmee and Nahuel are not the only hybrids in existence."

"What?" I cried and stared at my Grandfather with wide eyes. _I'm not the only one? There's another one? _

"Yes," Carlisle smiled to me. "Tanya and Kate contacted me and delivered some very interesting news. Apparently, they have found another hybrid."


End file.
